A day after the Haji Ali Dargah Trust approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision to allow women in the internal portion of the dargah, the apex court has agreed to hear its appeal. The date of hearing has now been set for October 7.

In August this year, the Bombay High Court had lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah. The decision came after Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) founders Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman had petitioned against the ban in the high court on the grounds that the ban was unconstitutional. This was accompanied by protests across Mumbai by Muslim women for lifting of the ban.

Till 2011, the shrine did not discriminate against women. But in March 2011, a ban on women’s entry was placed on the grounds that Islam forbids women to be in close proximity of a male Muslim saint’s grave.